Located in Elgin, IL, Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) of Elgin, Inc. provides a variety of services including “safe shelter, support services and advocacy to homeless individuals in Dundee, Elgin and Hanover Townships,” according to its website.

The facility was established in 1989 by three area clergymen as a safe haven for homeless men, women and children during winter months. Today PADS is open seven days a week and provides shelter to 40-50 people every night while also offering full case management and service plan development, among other services.

“Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. Sixty percent of adults, who use our shelter as their temporary home, regularly work,” according to the PADS website. “When in the shelter, they rise before dawn, help with cleanup operations and leave for work. They are the working poor.”

Many of those served at the facility suffer from mental illness or developmental disabilities, both of which can keep individuals homeless longer and keep them from gaining employment.

“Our mission is to end chronic homelessness by helping those who are in need,” said Dennis Hewitt, ‎Executive Director at PADS of Elgin, Inc. “And not only do we do this by providing food and shelter, we also help get people back on their feet and working again and in their own homes.”

Watch the PADS video below to learn more about their facility and services.

About Norix Gives

The Norix Gives donation program is employee-driven, with staff members choosing nonprofits or charities and making site visits to facilities to assess needs, then bringing proposals before the Norix Gives committee for consideration. Causes, organizations and facilities that are considered for the program include:

Local causes in Kane or DuPage counties.

Causes that help Norix people – staff, vendors, reps – with any hardships they may be facing.

For more than 30 years Norix has provided secure furnishings and fixtures for every application. The product line has expanded to include industries and environments such as behavioral healthcare, public safety, transportation, educational institutions, corrections, commercial facilities and military installations. For more information, call 800-234-4900 or visit: http://www.norix.com.